Illegal immigrants have value beyond mere labor

News-Times, The (Danbury, CT)

Published 8:00 pm, Sunday, April 17, 2005

As Congress debates about ways to keep Social Security afloat in the United States, our estimated seven million undocumented workers are providing the system with "a subsidy of as much as $7 billion a year."
Immigrants' valuable contributions through a variety of taxes are evident, but the editorial calls Web site the extent of their contributions to Social Security "striking."
"Our assumption is that about three-quarters of other-than-legal immigrants pay payroll taxes," said Stephen C. Goss, Social Security's chief actuary, using the agency's term for illegal immigration.
Therefore, the plan to narrow the funding gap counts on the $6 billion to $7 billion in Social Security tax revenue and about $1.5 billion in Medicare taxes from immigrants every year.
According to Goss, without the flow of payroll taxes from undocumented workers, "the system's long-term funding hole over 75 years would be 10 percent deeper."
How can this change how local undocumented workers are viewed?
The article entitled "Illegal Immigrants Are Bolstering Social Security With Billions" may come as an eye opener for many Americans who feel persuaded by anti-immigrant groups claims that illegal immigrants have a negative impact in our economy.
One of these groups is the newly formed Connecticut Citizens for Immigration Control.
According to co-founder Paul Streitz, 61, his group chose Danbury "because it shows how an old industrial town can be negatively impacted by a high number of illegals.''
Negative impact? Where has Mr. Streitz been for the past 12 years?
If he lived or worked anywhere in the Danbury downtown area in the early to mid-'90s he would remember how abandoned Main Street was. After all major business either fled to the Danbury Fair mall or simply closed, this main avenue begged for revitalization.
Former Mayor Gene Eriquez's efforts did help the aesthetic aspects of the area, but as he acknowledged in several speeches, it was immigrants' sense of entrepreneurship that boosted a new life downtown.
From the top of my head, I can think of 30 storefronts � from restaurants, insurance agencies, food markets, churches, printing companies, clothing and music stores � that were opened on Main Street on the past eight years and grew to serve a significant number of people outside their own ethnic group.
I can think of several fund-raisers, such as Main Street's 9-11 memorial and two dinners organized by Tribuna, a local Brazilian newspaper, that raised more than $25,000 to AmeriCares Free Clinics.
The New York Times editorial was of extreme importance to me because I was tired of the myopic labeling of immigrants as tax evaders.
As anyone should know, those in Connecticut are taxed in three levels: municipal, state and federal.
So, yes - undocumented immigrants pay municipal taxes since they own vehicles and properties.
Yes - undocumented immigrants pay state taxes though their everyday purchases.
And yes � undocumented immigrants have federal taxes deducted from their wages even knowing they will never collect benefits.
Tonight, I'll attend the inaugural meeting of Mr. Streitz's anti-immigrant groups at the American Legion hall on Triangle Street.
I'll be there to remind him our patriotism should not be based on hypocrisy. After all, the immigration crisis in the United States won't be solved with mass deportation of hardworking immigrants, but by creating a functioning system to allow foreigners to work here legally.
And lastly, I'll be there to remind him that securing our borders is America's right and obligation, but not an excuse for extremists to prosecute those who are vital to this country's welfare.

Elizabeth Bacelar is editor of Tribuna Connecticut, a biweekly newspaper based in Danbury and published in English and Portuguese. Contact her at 730-0457 or at ebacelar@tribunact.com.